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Hamas hands over bodies of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza, including a mother, her two children
The remains are believed to be of Shiri Bibas, her children Ariel and Kfir, and 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who were abducted during October 7, 2023, attack.
Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, including a mother and her two children on Thursday, who had long been feared dead and became a symbol of national grief after the October 7, 2023 attack.
The remains are believed to be those of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, along with 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who was abducted during the attack. Kfir, just nine months old at the time of his capture, was the youngest hostage.
Hamas claimed that all four were killed along with their guards in Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli military confirmed receiving the remains of four captives from Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The bodies are believed to be those of Shiri Bibas, her two young children, and 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who was taken hostage.
Israeli authorities will conduct DNA tests to formally identify the remains, a process expected to take up to two days. The Red Cross convoy has returned to Israel, where officials will complete the identification before notifying the families.
Kfir was the youngest captive
The remains of Shiri Bibas and her two children, Ariel and Kfir, were returned from Gaza. Kfir, just 9 months old at the time of his abduction, was the youngest hostage. Hamas claims they were killed in an Israeli airstrike early in the war. The group also released the body of 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, who was also taken hostage.
Thousands, including heavily armed Hamas fighters and militants from other factions, gathered at the handover site near Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Recently, Israelis have celebrated the release of 24 living hostages under a fragile ceasefire that has temporarily paused over 15 months of conflict. However, Thursday’s handover is a grim reminder of those who died in captivity as negotiations dragged on for more than a year.
This development may also influence talks on the next phase of the ceasefire, which has made little progress. The first phase is set to conclude at the beginning of March.
Hamas is expected to release six living hostages on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The group also plans to return four more bodies next week, marking the completion of the ceasefire’s first phase. This would leave Hamas with around 60 hostages, all men, nearly half of whom are believed to be dead.
Hamas said it will not free the remaining captives without a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, backed by the U.S. administration, remains committed to dismantling Hamas' military and governance while ensuring the return of all hostages—two objectives that many view as conflicting.
(With inputs from agencies)
